Door checking and holding device



Nov. 12, 1957 5. J. GALLA 2,812,537

DOOR CHECKING AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed March 7. 1956 I v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 #9 f 26, [/2 f3 P I ll Q Q mm a! 2/ I 25 $.JGALLA INVENTOR. 5.072% BY K 3% ATTORNEYS Nov. 1 2, 1957 s. J. GALLA DOOR CHECKING AND HOLDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 7, 195a $.J.GALLA 5G I YENTOR." BY

QZfl-M ATTORNEYS United States Patent DOOR CHECKING AND HOLDING DEVICE Application March 7, 1956, Serial No. 570,042

' 2 Claims. (c1. 16141) This invention relates generally to a door checking and holding device for a motor vehicle door, and particularly to a door checking and holding device associated with the hinge structure of a motor vehicle door.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a door checking and holding device which may be associated with the hinge structure of a motor vehicle door, and which is positive in operation and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. According to an embodiment of the present invention the upper and lower walls of a hinge bracket are formed with inwardly extending projections engageable with retaining parts carried by the cooperating hinge leaf to hold the vehicle door in selected open positions. The retaining parts carried by the hinge leaf comprises a pair of plastic plungers mounted for vertical sliding movement in a supporting bracket carried by the hinge leaf, the plungers being urged into retaining engagement with the projections on the hinge bracket by means of a spring carried by the supporting bracket.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a horizontal plan view, partly broken away and in section, of a vehicle door hinge structure together with the door checking and holding mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the structure in a door-open position.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the hinge structure for the motor vehicle door comprises a hinge bracket 11 and a hinge leaf 12. As best seen in Figure 2, the hinge bracket 11 is generally U-shaped, having an upper wall 13, a lower wall 14, and an interconnecting side wall 16. The hinge bracket is adapted to be inserted through an opening 17 in the door supporting structure or body pillar 18, and the marginal flanges 19 of the bracket are adapted to be secured to the pillar by means of bolts 20.

The hinge leaf 12 is of conventional gooseneck shape, having a leg 21 extending between the upper and lower walls 13 and 14 of the hinge bracket 11 and pivotally connected to the hinge bracket by means of the hinge pin 22. The hinge leaf 12 also has a leg 23 adapted to be conventionally secured to a motor vehicle door 24 by means of bolts 25.

As best seen in Figures 1 and 5, the upper and lower walls 13 and 14 of the hinge bracket 11 are formed with inwardly projecting ramp portions 26 and 27 so arranged as to form shoulders 28 and 29 on the inner surfaces of the walls.

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A sheet metal supporting bracket 31 is secured to the outer side of the leg 21 of the hinge leaf 12 by bolts 32. The bracket 31 has a vertically extending U-shaped portion 33 cooperating with the adjacent leg 21 of the hinge leaf to form a vertically extending rectangular guideway 34 adapted to receive a pair of rectangular blocks 36, preferably formed of nylon or other suitable plastic material. The blocks 36 have integral cylindrical tabs 37 projecting through slots 38 in the bracket. The bracket 31 alsosupports a coil spring 39 having a bight portion 40 received within the end tongue 41 of the supporting bracket 31. The free ends 43 of the U-shaped spring are seated in semicircular grooves 44 formed in the ends of the nylon blocks 36. The spring is preloaded in such manner as to continuously urge the blocks 36 away from each other, with the travel of the blocks however being limited by the permissible movement of the integral tabs 37 within the slots 38 formed in the channel shaped portions 33 of the supporting bracket 31.

In the closed position of the door hinge structure as shown in Figure 1, it will be seen that the blocks 36 are out of engagement with the hinge bracket 11, and that the blocks will be urged outwardly by the spring 39 the amount permitted by the slots 38. As the hinge leaf 12 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction during opening movement, the blocks 36, which have rounded edges, engage first the ramps 26 formed on the upper and lower walls 13 and 14 of the hinge bracket. After passing over the ramps 26 the blocks engage the shoulders 28 to yieldably hold the door in a partially open position. Further opening movement of the door causes the blocks to travel along the inclined ramps 27 and thereafter to engage, as shown in Figure 5, the shoulders 29 to yieldably hold the door in a fully opened position. The door can of course be closed by forcing the nylon blocks 36 over the shoulders 29 and 28, against the action of the spring 39.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, it will be seen that the upper and lower walls 13 and 14 of the hinge bracket 11 are formed with inwardly bent flanges 46 reinforced and held from spreading by means of a plate 47 welded thereto. Should the door be moved beyond the position shown in Figure 4, the leg 21 of the hinge leaf 12 will engage the flanges 46 to prevent further movement of the door in an opening direction.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a motor vehicle body having a door structure and a door supporting structure, a generally U-shaped hinge bracket projecting through an opening in said door supporting structure and secured to said door supporting structure, said hinge bracket being arranged so that the opposite side walls thereof extend horizontally in vertically spaced relationship, said walls being formed with correspondingly located and shaped inclined ramp portions projecting inwardly of the U-shaped bracket and forming with the walls of the bracket retaining shoulders, a hinge leaf having one portion extending between the side walls of said hinge bracket and pivotally connected to said hinge bracket about a vertical pivot, the other portion of said hinge leaf being adapted to be secured to the vehicle door, a sheet metal supporting bracket secured to the first mentioned portion of said hinge leaf, said supporting bracket having an intermediate U-shaped portion forming with said hinge leaf a vertically extending rectangular guideway, the base portion of said guideway having a pair of spaced vertically extending slots formed therein, a pair of rectangular plungers slidably mounted in said vertical guideway, said plungers having laterally extending tabs projecting into the slots in said supporting bracket to limit the vertical movement of said plungers, said supporting bracket having legs of unequal length extending in opposite directions from said U-shaped portion and secured ,to said hinge leaf, and spring means carried by the longer leg of said supporting bracket and having ends projecting into said U-shaped guideway and urging said plungers apart and into yieldable engagement withsaid ramp portions andsaid shoulders of said hinge bracket upon opening movement of said doorto yieldably hold said door in an open position.

2. A structure defined by claim 1 which is further characterized in that :the longer leg of' said supporting bracket has a bent retaining flange integrally formed therewith, and said spring means comprises a wire spring Cir References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,278,323 Folrner Sept. 10, 1918 1,853,659 Briskin Apr. 12, 1932 2,186,795 Anderson Jan. 6, 1940 2,342,531 Dean Feb. 22, 1944 2,499,165 Roethel Feb. 28, 1950 2,694,828 Johnson Nov. 23, 1954 

